"What is Dreamsville? Chickadee, Dreamsville is that place way up yonder where dreams can come true ... like they were never fulfilled before -- and the pure ecstasy might just flip you out and onto a cloud so high you may never make it back to mother earth again!"
"All Aboard" for Dreamsville #1 (February '64)
What would a Gloria Stavers tribute be without a trip to Dreamsville? Presided over by the glorious (even a bit Gloria-ish) Dreamy the Lion, Dreamsville was the place where Gloria and 16 faves collaborated each month to make wishes come true. All it cost was just "one 6 cent stamp" and a dream, and your name could be beside your fave's in a future issue! Imagine the deluge of hopeful letters to the 16 offices! Unlike contests today, Dreamsville wasn't a promotional vehicle for some skin care or soft drink company, as 16 did not accept outside advertising. Rather, it was another example of the direct emotional connection that Gloria fostered among the readers and their faves.
First Winners (July '64)
Gloria had a Dreamsville vault with an endless supply of transistor radios, 16 medallion necklaces and charm bracelets, portable record players and even perfume! But the Holy Grail of Dreamsville was a personal item of clothing, jewelry or anything that your fave had selected just for YOU! Faves such as Billy Hinsche, Dino Danelli, Mark Lindsay, Kurt Russell, Chris Crosby, Jonathan Frid, and Desi Arnaz even surprised their fans with a phone call!
(January '67)
Some interesting prizes over the years included a book of Longfellow's poetry from Mike Cole of the Mod Squad, a pair of "Barnabas fangs" and a music box from "Dark Shadows" star Jonathan Frid, an autographed menu from Sajid's Khan's favorite steak house ("Westward Ho"), an I.D. bracelet from Elvis with his name engraved on one side and the fan's name on the other, a black turtleneck "Illya" sweater from David McCallum, a pair of Davy Jones' famous love beads, a tambourine and a groovy "achkan" shirt from his Greenwich Village boutique "Zilch" and an orginal Raider jacket from Phil "Fang" Volk! David Cassidy must have given away half of his wardrobe, and "Herman" (Peter Noone) seemed to have a monthly reservation on one of Dreamsville's clouds.
(January '67)
If your letter caught Gloria's eye, she would personally wave her wand and a record player, a stack of her favorite LPs (and always a subscription to 16, natch!) would be winging their way to you in a New York minute!
(February '69)
Not only was Dreamsville one of 16's most popular and enduring features (continuing as a coveted destination for readers even after Gloria left the magazine in 1975) but in celebrating the bond between young fans and their faves, it really was at the heart of what 16 did better than any other teen magazine.
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